The invention pertains to automobile tail lights and particularly relates to the problem encountered when the tail light cover, which would be a translucent red or amber, is shattered so that the white light from the bulb is emitted.
It is dangerous to be driving with a tail light that is emitting white light, confusing following drivers who associate red light with the rear ends of cars. Although there is some danger of a physical nature from accidents, the more imminent danger is that of getting ticketed for not having red or amber tail lights or brake lights, as is appropriate for the vehicle. In some states this is a non-fixable offense, that is, the fine must be paid whether or not the condition is repaired.
Although car dealers carry replacement covers for most models of cars, or at least recent models, these covers can be very expensive and in many cases are not in stock. If they are not in stock, the motorist risks being ticketed or getting into an accident while waiting for the part. However, the expense of replacing the cover can be a very great problem, especially as the vehicle gets older. As the value of the vehicle continues to do nothing but delcine over time, the cost of replacing a tail light cover will, if anything, go up. It would not be uncommon to find a tail light cover whose cost was a substantial fraction of the overall of the vehicle. Obviously, the more complex the configuration of the tail light cover the greater the cost, and the tendency in modern cars is to produce quite fancy and complex tail light cover configurations.
With all of the gadgets that are sold in automotive stores for virtually any vehicle problem known to man, surprisingly there is nothing that will provide a temporary bulb cover for a tail light bulb to allow the hapless motorist to stay out of trouble with the law and with accidents either until the cover can be replaced, or indefinitely. There is a need for a simple cover which would serve no other purpose than to provide a color filtering effect for the tail light bulb and which would be cheap and simple to install.